Falling
by Uzumaki Addiction
Summary: This is a four chapter story. Naruto's been bullied for the last time, but can medicine keep him alive long enough to be told of Sasuke's feelings? KakaIru, SasuNaru, SakuNaru. Please R
1. Chapter 1

「FALLING」

By: Uzumaki Addiction

Genre: Angst . Yaoi . Romance

Rating: T or M… depends.

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. If he was… I wouldn't waste my time writing FAN-fictions now would I?

Pairings: SasuNaru . KakaIru . SakuNaru . SakuSasu

This is a four chapter story, tried to keep everybody in character except Naruto when he's depressed, but even then I hope he's semi-Narutoish. Please read and review, and criticism is awesome! –wink wink- I wanna get better!

"Sakura-chan!" the blonde screamed, rushing towards the pink-haired girl. He leapt into the air and flung his arms open, ready to give her the hug of her life.

THUD!

Sakura smiled triumphantly at the face-planted boy, moaning from the pain of rejection—and gravity. The boy hopped up and pointed accusingly at his other teammate, a pale boy with charcoal-black hair. "SASUKE-TEME! THAT WAS YOUR FAULT YOU COCKY BASTARD!"

The pink haired girl glared at her cat-like admirer. She was ready for another sparring match where her boy in black, Uchiha Sasuke, would beat the blonde within inches of his life. She was almost disappointed when Naruto landed the first hit.

Sasuke didn't punch back and Naruto glared at him with squinted eyes and annoyed puckered lips. "You coward! Fight me!"

"…Do you ever stop screeching, you blonde banshee?" Sasuke said, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Naruto stood trying to understand what 'banshee' meant, while Sakura showered compliments which just washed right off the raven-haired boy.

Soon their sensei arrived, and made them tend the garden belonging to their Hokage. Naruto griped and moaned and smashed into pots. Sakura tended the flowers lightly and carefully, having watched her blonde friends Ino's work in the Konoha flower shop. Sasuke leaned up against the gardening shed and watched his sensei, Hatake Kakashi, giggle stupidly about his immature porn book.

After blessing his genins with two days off of missions, Kakashi was awarded the honour of carrying Naruto back home. Sasuke told him he was too busy to help, and informed his grey-haired sensei the directions to Naruto's home. Sakura was suspicious about how the raven-haired boy knew, but she didn't ask. Her mother needed her and she couldn't help her sensei anyways, she had no clue where the blonde boy lived.

When Kakashi came upon Naruto's small house (if you could even call it that) he grimaced. The lawn was surprisingly well-kept, and he supposed Iruka-sensei had pruned it recently. He set Naruto on his porch, seeing that Iruka-sensei had also locked the door for the boy. He knew there was no way Naruto could remember to do that with the excitement of a possible mission. He chuckled to himself as he stood back to watch his pupil sleep. It was a wonder that Naruto even remembered to wear his hiate-ate every day!

"Naruto's never late to practice," Sakura remarked absently, watching the road for her less-than punctual teacher. Sasuke grunted and looked into the river, as he did every morning she came across him.

Kakashi arrived, late and full of excuses. "Yo! I had to help a snake with his ingrown toenail, gomen ne!" He said, smiling his 'I-think-you're-stupid' smile he always gave his students. "Oh, where's Naruto-kun? no da…"

Sasuke shrugged, "haven't seen him in a few days, Kakashi-sensei."

Sakura looked to her sensei, then back to Sasuke. "Aren't you worried, nii?"

Kakashi didn't answer, and Sasuke grunted. As if waiting for a dramatic time to enter, Naruto walked up, his eyes a little greyer than usual, and his usual perky personality were completely eradicated from him this morning.

"Sorry I'm late."

Sakura glared at him and wiggled her finger at him in a warning manner. "Don't make a habit of it or you'll end up as bad as Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi smiled, he could take a joke. "I guess you've learned something after all, Sakura-chan."

Sakura suddenly noticed something. "Naruto! Where's your hiate-ate!"

Naruto looked up, as if he could see his forehead and rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment. "I guess I lost it…"

Sakura looked shocked, Naruto treasured his hiate-ate even more than his life! Her gothic crush spoke up now, sounding colder than usual. "Dobe, I knew you were too immature to be a genin." Sakura wanted to slap Sasuke for his unkind words. He wasn't usually that cold with Naruto; he didn't like the blonde, no, but he was never cruel. She decided to agree with him, just to stay on the Uchiha's good side. "You idiot. You're worse, you can't even fight."

Kakashi laughed uncomfortably before dismissing everybody and suggesting that Naruto rest. "I'll get you another hiate-ate, I'm sure Iruka-sensei can spare one, Naruto-kun."

"Don't bother, a monster like me doesn't belong with ninja," said Naruto quietly as he dragged himself back in the direction of his home. His sensei and team seven stared in shock at Naruto's words. Kakashi, disgusted, knew that the villagers had said something. Naruto's teammates weren't sure what to make of his comment.


	2. chapter 2

Naruto cried in his bathroom, as he stared at the remains of his hiate-ate. He stared in his mirror, tears streaming down his face as he remembered the cold words.

'_Monster._'

'_murderer._'

'_Kyuubi._'

He broken-heartedly repeated them. "Monster. You're a monster. You'll never be Hokage. Demon." He cursed at his reflection as he tore at his flesh with a worn kunai. "Mutt… worthless mutt. If you became Hokage, everybody would move out of Konoha. Even Sasuke."

-

Sasuke stared at Naruto's house. He wasn't sure if he should turn away, or venture further. He decided the latter. He opened the door; Naruto never locked it, and searched the house for the blonde.

He found him very quickly.

The blonde boy with blue shining eyes and an optimistic grin lay unconscious on the floor, his blonde locks matted with blood and sleeping pills strewn upon the bathroom tile. Sasuke lifted him up in a panic, and drug him out of his house. He screamed for his sensei, for Iruka, and even for Sakura.

"Tasukete!"

The Haruno's phone rang at 2 o'clock in the morning.

"…Moshi moshi?"

"Haruno Sakura?"

"…Yes?" the girl said sleepily.

"This is the Konoha Hospital; a teammate of yours is here… I think you should come here promptly."

"Why? What happened?"

"He's in critical condition –click-"

Sakura slipped on her sandals and ran out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-

A/N:

This chapter's got some fluffiness of the SakuNaru going on, but don't worry all you sasunaru fans! I'm only your side! > damnedSakura.Just wait until the next chapter, your anti-sakura bloodlust shall be fufilled! -insert evil laugh here-

----

Sakura held the blondes hand, and ran her nimble fingers lightly along his wrists. The blood had soaked through the medical gauze. She had been told that he was in a coma. She could only guess what had made her over-exuberant teammate so hopeless. "Naruto… Please… God, Please wake up…" she cooed in his ear, petting his hands. She looked all over him, and for the first time saw the beauty of his features. Kakashi and Sasuke retired for the night, Sasuke unwilling and stubborn yet obviously exhausted had to be escorted home and watched carefully the first night. This time alone allowed her to carefully get a look at him.

His eyes were closed and there were brown circles about them. Blonde hair covered them, almost protectively. His hair, for once, wasn't a spiky mess. She preferred a little more bounce to it, she decided. She rubbed his soft locks, and soon his hair was unruly again. She smiled.

Later that night, as she watched him softly snore, she decided to further examine him. She lifted the blanket off of him and folded it at the end of his bed. She ran her fingers curiously up one leg, noticing he didn't have much hair on him, other than on his head. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and there was a strange design upon his stomach; perhaps a tattoo. Whatever it was, she wasn't interested in it. She spread his eyelids open, to look deeper into his eyes. The pupils were small and his eyes were misted over giving his eyes an eerie 'see all, but see nothing' kind of feel. They were grey, but if you lost yourself in them, you would see the beautiful blue, too afraid to surface. She let them close. She traced the whiskers on his face with her fingertips, and swore she saw a slight smile at her touch. "Who hurt you…? I'll destroy them…" She whispered, touching his strong arms. There were lots of bandages; most of them had bleed through to the surface. She slowly touched his wrist, and licked the blood from the soaked medical tape. Sweet. She shook her head, and cleared it. '_Don't lick that! He's probably got a disease,_' Inner Sakura scolded. Sakura sighed, she didn't think anything was wrong with Naruto, she saw the way the villagers treated him; however, he wasn't beautifully wonderful like Sasuke, and he was much too loud. Like Ino, but male. She shrugged and continued to look him over. Every time he got more beautiful. She ruffled his head gently, and touched his forehead, and was reminded of his missing hiate-ate. She wiped her tear-brimmed eyes and lay down on the hospital visitors-mat they set for her.

three days later, at 4am+

Sakura was awakened by a faint whisper from her sickly teammate. "Sa…kura…chan?"

"Oh! Naruto! Naruto!"

Sasuke's head perked up, and he too was grateful to see the blonde alive. "Naruto…!" He exclaimed scrambling to the boy's bedside. He smiled and kissed the same spot their female companion had kissed. "You're alive!"

Kakashi smiled, still slumped in his chair. He covered the sharingan with his untamed grey hair, removing the hiate-ate. "You really pulled through, Naruto-kun." Their sensei said, tossing Sasuke the headband. "It's not as special as Iruka-sensei's… but it'll do until I get Iruka-sensei drunk enough to let me have it," their sensei chuckled as Sasuke and Sakura twitched uncomfortably. Naruto smiled, and his heart monitor slowed down. He pulled the oxygen mask from his nose, and greeted his friends with a less stifled voice.

"I missed you guys in Hell…" he laughed painfully. It had really felt like hell.

"Who did this to you?" Sakura asked, brushing the boy's blonde locks from his sweaty forehead and tearful eyes.

"I did it to myself." Naruto said, his eyes closing again as he became weaker.

"Who made you do this?"

"A couple of chuunin's." Naruto replied. He closed his eyes and cried a little. Sakura pet his head, and Sasuke grabbed three of his kunai. Naruto looked at the kunai-belt and his face turned pale, remembering how much the wounds from his fellow hidden-leaf shinobi hurt. His crying became sobbing and rambling, "Monster monster monster…"

"Naruto… why did they call you a monster?" Sakura asked as the boy faded.

"Kyuubi…" he said, lifting up the blanket to reveal the four-point seal. It was illuminated, a blood red colour. "…She doesn't like… shinobi…"

"She?" Sakura asked. "Kakashi-sensei?" The grey teacher smiled and shrugged. It wasn't his place to tell her about the Kyuubi, other than it belonged inside of Naruto.

"She…" Naruto said as his voice trailed off. He pulled the pale blue blanket back up over his stomach. Sakura stared at his grey eyes that once held an ocean of blue. He seemed so sad. The blonde rolled over upon his back and they heard the ripping of flesh. All three of his friends rushed to him and rolled him over. The bandages had become caught and his wrists were flowing again. Naruto gasped, and lifted his bleeding arms. "It…doesn't hurt…anymore…"

Sasuke flew out of the room, tripping noisily over his own feet. He scrambled to a nurse, "BLOOD! LOTS OF BLOOD!"

---

A/n: Thank you all for all the greatcomments, one more chapter to go! ;


	4. Finale

Chapter 4-

A/n:

Omg, don't hurt me! . ! Major Sakura bashing here, via Sasuke, but sometimes I think we all know she's asking for it! I love you Sakura! .;;;;

----

Three nurses and two surgeons whisked a semi-conscious Naruto away, leaving two scared genins and a terrified jounin. Kakashi used the hospital phone to call Iruka-sensei; he'd want to hear about this.

The chuunin ran across the bustling town of Konoha, "'scuse me! Ah, ne! Pardon me! Emergency!" Even with his warnings, he managed to run straight into somebody. "Ne! Pardon, my students bleeding in intensive care, I must run!" he yelled to the victim of his hit and run clumsiness.

Kakashi smiled at the chuunin as he burst in the door and screamed at the empty bed. "Iruka-sensei… they took him to surgery when I called you."

"YOU! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT!" Iruka screamed, his face burning red, especially where a long scar lay, across the bridge of his nose. He calmed himself, and brushed his short hair out of his face, noticing he hadn't tied it back this morning, given it was only 5am. Iruka blushed, having not noticed that he was still in his scare-crow pajamas.

"Iruka-sensei, your face is unusually red today," Kakashi kidded. "Oh… and nice undies, sensei." Kakashi said, giggling and pointing at the unbuttoned crotch of the pants.

"KAKASHI!" Iruka screeched, quickly buttoning his pants. "You bastard!"

'_If only I still had that crush on Iruka-sensei_,' Sakura giggled to herself. "You guys sound like Naruto and Sasuke-kun!"

Iruka blushed and tried to defend himself, but only stuttered and decided to give in to the fact that he was beyond redemption on this one. "…Just don't tell my academy students," he resigned as he blushed harder.

"Stop," Sasuke grunted angrily not turning away from the window. "Naruto is in surgery and you three are flirting."

Sakura nodded quietly and ashamedly, while Iruka readjusted his hair, and Kakashi joined Sasuke at the window.

"Sasuke-kun… Gome-" Sakura started.

Sasuke cut her off, "Shut up, I don't want to talk to you."

Iruka glared at the gothic boy. "Uchiha Sasuke! What's the matter with you! No matter what, a shinobi is never rude to a woman!"

"Sakura-chan, why do you only call me 'kun' and can't even call Naruto 'kun' on his death bed? Do you not know how much you mean to him? Do you not understand that he could die happily if he got one kiss from you? One!" Sasuke ranted to her, not seeing the tears rolling down her face.

She looked away, and hair stuck to her face from all the crying. "Because… I love you. I can't help it, Sasuke-kun."

"I don't love you. Get it through your billboard forehead! I don't love you!" Sasuke said, slamming his fist on the window-sill. "I don't…" his voice shook with tears.

Sakura burst out in tears, and ran from the room. Kakashi sighed, "Sasuke-kun… Why-"

"For Naruto." He answered coldly.

Iruka followed the pink-haired ninja, and they returned an hour later, she with a jelly soda pop, and Iruka called in for three emergency days.

The next morning +

There was still no word from the surgeons. Kakashi had asked at the desk three times. Iruka had taken Sakura home to get rest. Sasuke refused to sleep and lay silently crying face down on Naruto's pillow.

At noon the surgeon came in. "Haha! You're still waiting, eh? Most parents and siblings leave after about three hours," the doctor said, meant to get a laugh. He received none for his ill-timed humour. After an uncomfortable silence, he started talking again. "No da… Naruto should wake up soon, and if you son," nudging Sasuke, "could get up we could move him in here again in about a half hour. Be careful of his wrists though, they're healed up amazingly, but they were deep! Not even an immortal demon could heal completely from that harsh of a suicide attempt. I'm surprised he made it; wrist slitting and pill popping isn't normally survivable."

When the doctor left, Sasuke turned to his sensei. His eyes were inflamed. "Kakashi-sensei," he spoke weakly, "why is Naruto still alive…?"

Kakashi sighed. "Umm," he said, his voice cracking. Yondaime had ordered him not to share information but… "Well, there's… ah, this will sound crazy. You know the Kyuubi no Kitsune, right?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke replied, not sure what it had to do with Naruto.

"Well… the fourth Hokage-"

"Sealed it away. I know, Iruka-sensei taught us it… many times. What about Naruto, though?"

"The fourth… Uzumaki Yondaime, my sensei, sealed it in his own newborn son."

"Uzumaki…Naruto…" Sasuke said softly. He looked down. "He's… the Kyuubi no Kitsune… The Konoha demon."

Kakashi nodded, wincing at the horrible nickname the village had appointed him. "I believe… that his headband wasn't lost, but stolen."

Sasuke winced, "Who would steal his hiate-ate? Who else knows?"

"Children who are told by traumatized parents, 'Don't ignore me, or else the blonde Kitsune will get you!' Sasuke-kun," Kakashi said sadly. "The fourth Hokage didn't want Naruto to be hated, he saw his son as a saviour, and hoped that his village would see his son the same. They obviously don't." Kakashi sighed. He lifted up his hiate-ate. "I risked two young people's lives. I came out alive. Rin, my teammate, is also living. She refuses to talk to me because of my third teammate. Obito; Uchiha Obito. Nobody knows but Rin, the fourth and I. I hide the evidence, my one sharingan eye… that he gave me. Naruto can't hide his eyes, his chakra, or his whiskers." Kakashi touched Sasuke's shoulder. "I loved Obito, and I regret not telling him." With that, the grey sensei left. He needed his Icha Icha Paradise and to say hello to an old grave.

Sasuke understood. He sat, waiting patiently. They set the sleeping boy back into his bed. After they left, Naruto wearily opened his eyes, and turned to face Sasuke. "They say I'm lucky to be alive…" He sounded almost disappointed.

"I'm lucky you're alive."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Sasuke…" he gasped, laying his head back down on the pillow. He looked ashamed.

"I care for you a lot."

"I know… You're the only one, Sasuke."

"I know about your Kyuubi." Sasuke whispered hoarsely.

Naruto coughed. "Who… Who told you?" He began to shake, and his face paled. Sasuke knew he had to stop, this was not the time to excite the blonde. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist, hard. "Oh… Sasuke…" He whimpered, gripping so tightly Sasuke had to turn his wrist to keep the blood flowing. Naruto looked at him, his blueish grey eyes paled and blind. "I'm scared."

"Don't let it end like this…" Sasuke whispered, and Naruto closed his eyes and continued to shake. The red glow has stopped illuminating. Sasuke touched the boy's sweat-soaked hair. "I regret nothing. I'm so lucky to have these final moments…"

"Sas…uke…" The gothic boy tried to shush him. "No… don't quiet me…." Naruto whined, continuing with his speech. "I'm sorry… that I ruined this chance… Please… Don't be sad like Kaka-sensei…" Naruto said, his voice growing weaker every word.

A few days later +

They all smiled, in a sad way. It was a small get-together, consisting only of close friends. Hinata and Sakura both set down a bundle of roses, both pausing to glare at each other and then quickly looked away, ashamed. Ino was invited, but not surprisingly couldn't attend. Sasuke wiped his eyes and stood, trying to be strong for just a little longer. Kakashi sighed, looking at them in a way to ask if they wanted closure.

Sakura shook her head no, as she burst into tears. Sasuke also said no. Kakashi nodded, he had nothing to say that they didn't already know.

Once they had left, Sasuke sat upon the fresh grass as a light rain began. He felt it upon his face, and cried. "I never got a chance to tell you… I love you."

_Uzumaki Naruto_

"_Fames and leaves whirl in the wind_

_The shadow of fire shines in the village_

_But with to the aide of the rain, the Uzumaki continues to spin_

_And the leaves will sprout again."_


End file.
